how does marijuana affect the brain
How Does Marijuana Affect the Brain?
A new study on how marijuana affects the brain reveals the potential effects of recreational drug use on certain brain regions. According to researchers, marijuana use can alter the structure and function of areas of the brain linked to motivation and reward. In particular, researchers found changes in the nucleus accumbens, which is responsible for memory, motivation, and pleasure processing. Additionally, the study uncovered changes in the amygdala, which is responsible for emotion and decision-making. medical marijuana card ny state
The study involved a group of hard-core cannabis users who used marijuana to get high. Interestingly, these volunteers had a significantly higher dopamine level than non-users. The results were striking, and scientists are now planning on further studies to understand how marijuana affects the brain. Researchers are also studying how chronic marijuana users’ brains respond to natural rewards. In general, marijuana users’ brains are more susceptible to addiction.
The researchers looked at how substance use affects brain development in adolescents. They found that frequent marijuana users have altered brain structure compared to non-users. Moreover, these participants smoked cannabis more than 2,500 times in their lifetimes. According to the researchers, the effects of marijuana on the brain might be unique to adolescents, during neurodevelopment. Marijuana may cause damage to certain areas of the brain, including the frontal cortex, which is essential for decision-making and planning.
In addition to reducing the number of monoamines in the brain, it also affects the stress response system. According to researchers, marijuana use impairs the maturation of monoamines, which exert trophic effects on afferent terminals and target neurons. Moreover, the study has revealed that marijuana use may affect brain development in genetically susceptible teenage boys. This association may contribute to psychiatric disorders, such as schizophrenia.
In addition to the effects of marijuana, it can also impair short-term cognitive functions like memory, learning, and decision-making. Its effects last even after the high wears off. Heavy marijuana use during adolescence is associated with poor school performance and higher rates of dropout and unemployment. Furthermore, it has also been associated with a reduced sense of life satisfaction. The study suggests that marijuana may cause depression in some cases.
Despite the fact that marijuana has a largely negative reputation, many researchers are investigating the potential positive effects of the drug. For instance, marijuana users have an increased risk of psychosis. The drug also changes the brain’s reward system, scrambling neuron signals, and even making people feel the munchies. And IQs drop in teens who use marijuana. For more information, visit the links below. The scientific statement on marijuana and the brain is a good guide for health care providers.
The results of the study suggest that regular cannabis users experience higher gray matter volumes compared to non-users. However, it is unclear whether the increase in gray matter volume in regular cannabis users is consumption-related or developmental. Longitudinal studies are needed to determine the effects of cannabis on the brain. The study was supported by the Swiss National Scientific Research Foundation, Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne, and the multidisciplinary project FBM.